title: Current status of gene therapy for cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In recent years, remarkable progress has been made in the development of cancer gene therapy into an applicable treatment modality for immunogene, suicide, gene correction and oncolytic therapies. New exciting developments for gene suppression or miRNA therapies are under way. The efforts are focused on more efficient and specific attack at known and novel targets, improvement of vector delivery and therapeutic efficacy. In this review, promising and new gene therapy approaches and clinical studies are briefly discussed to highlight important future directions of preclinical and clinical efforts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Apart from progress for vector development and even more important, improvements for suicide, T-cell-based, oncolytic virus therapies were achieved. In addition, new emerging therapies are successfully developed, which are particularly promising for siRNA-based technologies applied to gene suppression therapy. Novel approaches, such as transcription factor ODN-based decoy, complement the spectrum of current cancer gene therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In summary, cancer gene therapy has made remarkable progress in the improvement/refinement of existing strategies and delivery systems. The field is moving toward a therapeutic option, which will also be applicable for the treatment of disseminated metastases. Furthermore, numerous new approaches are about to be translated in clinical trials.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Walther
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Schlag
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D015195:Drug Design; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D041722:Genes, Transgenic, Suicide / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D050130:Oncolytic Virotherapy / Q000639:trends; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019444:Vaccines, DNA
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D014157:Transcription Factors; D019444:Vaccines, DNA